Welcome to Zurich and the 7th IAAF Half Marathon Championships '98.

I am very happy that Switzerland, with all of its enthusiasm for athletics, is playing host to its first IAAF World Athletics Series Event since 1986, when Neuchâtel hosted a memorable edition of the World Cross Country Championships.

The World Half Marathon World Championships first took place in Tyneside, Great Britain, in 1992 and has grown steadily to become one of the most popular events in the calendar. We expect this year's edition to be the greatest ever, with the entry lists already exceeding by a large margin the competitors registered in the biggest preceding edition, Brussels '93.

The presence of last year's victors, Shem Kororia and Tegla Loroupe and that of the new holder of the World Best Performance in the Marathon, Ronaldo da Costa, promise some exciting competition ahead. Follow it with us here on the Official IAAF web site.

Primo Nebiolo